Business owner Andre Serruys gave this newspaper a sneak preview of his new £250,000 venue in Norwich's Chapelfield Gardens which is to open for drinks only this weekend.
Mr Serruys, who owns the lease to the building formerly known as Pedro's Mexican cantina, has almost finished transforming it into a high-end burger bar which will serve food and drink from 8am-11.30pm, Tuesdays-Sundays, both take-away and inside the restaurant. He's opening at the weekend for drinks and will be serving food too by the end of the month.
It comes after delays because of various wrangles with the city council which last week finally granted him a licence meaning he can serve alcohol to non-diners.
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Named after Mr Serruys' father, 'Harry's' will serve breakfast with vegan options along with a variety of dry aged steak, hand-made burgers which can be cooked rare unlike many others in the city. The menu is currently being compiled but consists of burgers, priced from £10, with interesting names such as the 'Dirty Harry' which comes with cheese, pickles and maple bacon as well as 'Harry Meets Pedro' on a Mexican twist and a nod to the former restaurant. Home-made ice cream, juices and smoothies will also be on offer and there will be 'pop-up' chef nights on themes such as oysters and street food.
"It's been a big challenge but I'm really pleased with how it's looking," said Mr Serruys who's still locked in a dispute over access to the building for supplies. When the restaurant revamp started, his team had to carry in the tables and chairs by hand.
The new-look restaurant has opened up the former space, with the old low ceiling largely removed and seating for around 80 diners, with a long bar at one end and open kitchen. One of the most eye-catching features is a mural drawn by local artist Tony Allen which includes an image of Marilyn Monroe and also revolutionary Che Guevara, a symbol of the Cuban revolution. There are two large images, one of American singer Jim Morrison of The Doors and another of rock legend Jimi Hendrix, both with graffiti over them. Mr Serruys spotted them in Cuba and photographed them. Harry Serruys is included in the mural with a photograph of him on holiday in Majorca in the centre and there is a black and white photo of him on the wall. There are tables made from pin-ball machines and old albums as decoration. "It's a nod to Cuba, we plan to have a rum bar and black beans on the menu, we want it to be edgy, to be cool," added Mr Serruys.
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